Tara Sophia Mohr's 10 Rules for Brilliant Women

By Tara Sophia Mohr

Acclaimed women's leadership and wellbeing expert, Tara Sophia Mohr, created the wildly popular "10 Rules for Brilliant Women" after years of watching her "brilliant" – smart, creative, visionary - women friends, colleagues and coaching clients struggle to share their voices fully in the world and own their brilliance. As soon as the 10 Rules hit the web, they struck a huge chord with tens of thousands of women worldwide, making Mohr one of today's leading voices for women's empowerment.

Most of the time, they don't know their brilliance. They are certain they "aren't ready" to take on that next bigger role. They are more attuned to the ways they aren't qualified than to the ways that they are. They are waiting for someone to validate, promote or discover them. Sound familiar?

It's time to step up, brilliant women. Here are ten principles for owning your brilliance and bringing it to the world:

1. Make a pact. No one else is going to build the life you want for you. No one else will even be able to completely understand it. The most amazing souls will show up to cheer you on along the way, but this is your game. Make a pact to be in it with yourself for the long haul, as your own supportive friend at every step along the way.

2. Imagine it. What does a knock-the-ball-out-of-the-park life look like for you? What is the career that seems so incredible you think it's almost criminal to have it? What is the dream you don't allow yourself to even consider because it seems too unrealistic, frivolous, or insane? Start envisioning it. That's the beginning of having it.

3. Gasp. Start doing things that make you gasp and get the adrenalin flowing. Ask yourself, "What's the gasp-level action here?" Your fears and a tough inner critic will chatter in your head. That's normal, and just fine. When you hear that repetitive, irrational, mean inner critic, name it for what it is, and remember, it's just a fearful liar, trying to protect you from any real or seeming risks. Go for the gasps and learn how false your inner critic's narrative really is, and how conquerable your fears.